Well-intentioned friends with office jobs are always saying stuff like, “it must be so nice to work in your pajamas!” or “you’re so lucky that you don’t have to get up early to go to work!” While working from home and being your own boss admittedly has some amazing perks, it’s really not like everyone thinks. Yes, there are weeks days that I wear the same FSU alumni t-shirt and leggings and don’t see the outside world. I can hypothetically wake up whenever I want, though I do choose to get up on the early-ish side. I can get a midday mani without having to justify myself to a superior or set a lunch date with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. But, for the most part, I really try to make an effort to get up, get dressed and have some semblance of order in my schedule. If not, I go crazy! Some might argue that leaving a 9-5 job and going freelance might be tempting but ultimately scary, however, there are a lot of people do decide to take the leap of faith that comes with creating their own business or following their dream. Luckily there are a ton of resources out there for those who want to give it a try, for example, an invoice template could help you keep track of what is needed for you to succeed and enjoy the work from home lifestyle. And just because you work from home, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get yourself covered insurance-wise. I know that, in the UK, myTribe offer some of the best private health insurance and covers the self-employed, so it might be worth looking into for those of you across the pond.
Today, I thought I’d share some of my tips for working from home without losing your mind! I’ll be honest, I struggled with some of it, but I find that the days I follow these tips, I’m way more productive! It does really help to designate an area of your home to work, to kind of make an invisible boundary between your home life and work life in the very same space. That is why using office desks, like the ones found at Office Monster, are far better for productivity than being slumped on the couch. If you share office space with other people in your home, you might want to look at getting something like desk partitions to section off your area.
Don’t jump into work right away.
I like to wake up, make coffee, do a devotional and write in my prayer journal. Taking a few moments in the morning before getting started really gets me focused and centered for the day. On mornings where I read my email from bed and jump straight into work mode before coffee, I find that I feel way more overwhelmed and burnt out by EOD.
Make your bed.
This is part of getting in the work mindset as well… when I don’t make my bed, I feel so scattered and disorganized. It also really doesn’t help that my workspace is in my bedroom. I really wish I had a separate office to work out of, but you make do with what you have. I’ve read tons of studies that say that people who make their beds feel way more productive throughout the day. (And that’s not even people who work from home! That’s just a general statistic!) 
Get dressed.
This one is a BIGGIE! Getting dressed it a major key to being productive. I’ve found that the easiest way to transition into getting dressed every day is to incorporate easy, comfortable pieces that basically feel like PJs but aren’t. It’s kind of like cheating the system. 😉 Jersey t-shirt dresses, leggings with cute tops, stretchy jeggings, cozy sweaters. Skip anything super constricting or tight. My mom calls my t-shirt dresses PAJAMA DRESSES lol! Old Navy is one of my favorite sources for easy t-shirt dresses. I’ve also had really good luck at Marshall’s!
Put on a little makeup.
OK, relax. Not a FULL FACE. Just a tinted BB cream, some mascara, and a little concealer. You, but better. Ever since Vaseline sent me their Lip Therapy Tins, I literally cannot get enough of them. I have them scattered all over the place and currently have 3 sitting on my desk, one on my nightstand, and one in my purse. I love the Rosy tin! It smells yummy and delivers a light pink color to your lips, with all the benefits of Vaseline.
My favorite BB cream right now is either L’Occitane Imortelle BB Cream (I love the smell and it has good coverage, while feeling light and clean.) I’ve definitely shared my love for the L’Occitane BB before! 
Make your to-do list the night before.
When you set your list the night before, you start the day knowing immediately what you need to tackle.
Schedule breaks throughout the day.
Make sure that you’re taking little breaks here and there, just as you would at the office. Try not to get sidetracked, though! I like to take a 10:30 break, one for lunch, and one in the afternoon. It keeps me fresh and focused. 
Keep your desk area clean and organized.
When my desk is a mess, I feel so scatterbrained and find myself majorly struggling. Clear desk, clear mind. If your business involves selling physical products and shipping them out, it might be worth finding another area to do this. Keeping desks tidy is so important, so people might want to consider other storage options to keep their workplace tidy. Some business owners seem to use Pueblo storage units to keep all of their stock. Maybe that’s worth looking into. Having a dedicated workspace is also important. If you set up on the coffee table in front of the telly, you’re not going to be productive. Find an area in your house for a desk and office chair at the very minimum. If space isn’t a luxury, you can get office sheds that can be popped in the garden for a perfect working from home set up.
Have a pretty candle that smells good lit.
I love candles! I prefer clean linen scents and try to stay away from florals… they give me a headache! Something about a pretty candle just makes my day a million times better for some reason. 
Find your perfect work playlist.
Honestly, mine changes based on mood. I love the classical covers pop station on Google Play music. I’m also a huge fan of the Blogged 50 station, it plays the best new indie music. Google Play music used to be Songza, which I LOVED. Now, all the Songza playlists are over on Google Play music, and I love the concierge! You can choose a playlist by activity… so, you can choose a playlist based on “Putting on your party dress” or “Breaking up, “Barbecuing”, “Playing office DJ”. I kind of love it. As I have found listening to music to be very productive for me at home, I even looked into a site like hifisystemcomponents.com to see how I could make listening to music even better. Working to music just makes times go by faster than usual for some reason and that’s always a bonus.
Get out of the house.
Sometimes, you just need to get out of the house! Go to a coffee shop, run some errands, go for a run. It will totally re-set your attitude! 
Outfit Details
Sweater: Old Navy | Jeans: Old Navy | Bracelets: c/o Kendra Scott, Kendra Scott, Baublebar, Vera Bradley | Watch: Apple | Rings: Macy’s, Sophie Harper c/o Rocksbox | Necklace: c/o Taudrey, Gorjana c/o Rocksbox
Desk Details
Desk: Ikea | Lamp: Homegoods | Calendar: Target | Tray: Target | Vase: Ikea | Pencil holder: Ikea | Candle: c/o West Elm | Hashtag paperweight: c/o West Elm | c/o Vaseline Lip Tins | Mug: Target | Chair: Ross
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Thanks for reading! What tips do you have for working from home?? Tell me in the comments!
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